The Local and European elections were the most important news story of May 2019 according to Core Cultural Index

• Stories that generated greatest public awareness included Pieta House’s Darkness into Light event

• President Trump’s visit to Ireland was of low importance to Irish people in May

The local and European elections, the divorce referendum and Pieta House’s Darkness into Light event were the most important news stories in Ireland in May 2019. This is according to research from Core’s Cultural Index, compiled by Ireland’s largest marketing communications company, and based on the views of 1,000 participants discussing 20 news. Core’s research asked interviewees which stories they were aware of, and of them, deemed most important.

While turnout for the elections was only 50%, 91% of all adults were aware of the political campaigning and voting. Of these, 71% said it was important or very important to them, leading to this political event recording an Index score of 69.5. Pieta House’s ‘Darkness into Light’ event came in as the second most engaging story with 83% of people aware of the event taking place and scoring it high on importance in their life.

Crime-related stories also scored high in awareness in May, with 85% of people aware of the three men shot in Dublin related to criminal gangs, and 77% of people aware of the continuing trial in relation to the murder of Ana Kriegel.

Stories that received less interest included the resignation of Theresa May, and US President Trump’s announcement of his intention to stay in Doonbeg in County Clare. While 89% of Irish people were aware of the resignation, just under half of people (49%) said it was important to them. Similarly, while  nearly every Irish person (94%) was aware of President Trump’s visit, only 28% of Irish people said it was important to them. 

News surrounding Maria Bailey TDs fall off a Dublin hotel swing and the Minister for Housing’s description of co-living was an exciting opportunity had the least importance in Irish life. While political journalists and commentators spent hours discussing the Maria Bailey case, more people were aware of the Spice Girls’ Dublin concert (85%) and the final episode of Game of Thrones (78%) than they were of the swinging TD (68%). Similarly, more people (particularly younger renters) were aware of Love Island returning than they were of Minister Eoghan Murphy’scomments.

Core employs a team of 310 people and consists of nine practices – Creative, Data, Investment, Learning, Media (comprising of Mediaworks, Spark Foundry, Starcom and Zenith), Recruitment, Research, Sponsorship and Strategy. Core has been voted Agency Network of the Year for the last six years at the Media Awards and the company was also recently voted one of the top workplaces in Ireland by the Great Place to Work Institute for the tenth year running.